Washboard



C. T. GILBERT Jan. 8, 1935.

WASHBOARD Filed May 9, 1934 CHARLES 177 GILBERT Patented Jan. 8, 1 935 Y. 1*PATENT O E;

7 WA SHBO ARD CharlesT. Gilbert, Saginaw, Mich, assignor to I National Washboard Company, Chicago, Ill.,'a corporation of West Virginia 2 Application May 9.1934,,Sriai No 724,700

\ 2 Claims."-

- This invention relates to improvements inthe parts of washboardsemployed as rubbing faces and more particularly to double. faced, washboards. I

The object of myinvention is'the provision of a novel and improved-double rubbing facethat shall be inexpensive and simple; in construction and capable of being-madeoflight material, such as thin sheets of metal, yet rigid to, resist, without undue springing or bending, the stresses that are produced by bearing downandrubbing when muse.

The claimed invention consists principally of an improved arrangement of two, corrugated sheets formed and co-operating so that each rubbing face of the wash-board will provide a substantially equal degree :of stiffness and rigidity for the other rubbing face and also to present surfaces of different working characteristics, one for washing ordinary goods, the other for delicate fabrics. The corrugations of the first mentioned sheet extend across the direction of rubbing and of the other substantially lengthwise thereof. The sheets are secured together back to back in bearing engagement at the crossings and present mutually supporting elements arranged in grid-like pattern that provides symmetry and equivalence of bracing for both rubbing faces.

'Heretofore double wash-boards with sheet metal rubbing faces have had their faces provided with longitudinal ribs, and the two sheets have been placed back to back with their longitudinal ribs parallel and in contact lengthwise. Such arrangement produced a double-faced board that was resistant to bending along lines extending from the top edge of the board to the bottom, but the two sets of ribs, being parallel and contiguous, afforded practically no resistance to bending along lines extending across theboard from one upright edge to the other, and consequently produced unequal degrees of bracing, or what may be termed non-symmetrical bracing for the two rubbing faces. v

The means by which I have remedied such defects of earlier double-faced boards will now be described, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which:

Fig. 1 is a front face View of a wash-board embodying my invention.

Fig. 2 is a rear view of the same, partly broken away. I

Fig. 3 is a central vertical section on line 3--8 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional View on line 4.-4 of Fig. 3. Y Y c Fig. 5 is ,a fragmentary view in perspective showing the preferred arrangement of the eon- .tiguous rubbing faces. v i .5 vFig. 6 is a detail view in perspective, showing an approved. method of assembling the, two rube bing-faces as a unit.

The same numerals of reference arefused to designate corresponding parts in the; several views.

The rectangular framed the wash-board is composed of the side bars v1 and 2, and the top cross-bar 3, bottom cr0ssbar4 and intermediate cross-bar 5, and may be of the usual or any-suite able construction. v I, The rubbing element of my improved-and novel construction is seated at its side edges in suitably shaped grooves in the side-bars 1 and 2 of the frame, at its top edge in the grooved intermediate cross-bar 5, and at its bottom edge in the grooved bottom cross-bar 4. In the construction shown the rubbingelement is composed of two corrugated sheets 6, 7 of thin sheet metal laid back to back. Each sheet is formed, as by co-rrugating, to present parallel series of alternating workengaging ridges, or ribs 8 and work-engaging channels, troughs, or grooves 9 in the form of similar arrises, uniformly spaced or substantially so. In addition the sheets may be embossed in known manner. The sheets are disposed so that the arrises of one cross those of the other. In the example herein shown they, are perpendicular, to give point contacts, but they may cross at any other suitable angle appropriate to attain the results herein set forth.

Under the normal stresses of use each channel wall or groove, as 9 of one face presents a transverse beam-like support for all or most of theseveral channel Walls of the other faces. Each corrugated sheet is thus supported at a great number of approximately equidistant points spaced closely together over its entire area. Each such point of support rests upon a channel wall of the opposing sheet and that wall is in effect a beam extending from edge to edge of the rubbing face. Otherwise stated, the surfaces of the two sheets are preferably in the form of uniform or similar arrises or corrugations mutually perpendicular to give only point contacts or bearings.

The embodiment here shown as a preferred form of my invention has equally spaced point bearings or contacts at the crossings arranged in what may be termed a symmetrical gridlike pattern by which the two sheets are equally braced in both directions, and they are held together so as to constitute a unit that is rigid in itself.

Preferably the two sheets 6 and '7 are arranged as shown, the ridges and grooves of one sheet inserted in the frame when the wash-board is being assembled. l

Another advantage is attainedby the arrange: ment of the corrugated rubbing surfaces as above described. The horizontally arrangedcormga-w tions of sheet '7 are well adapted for washing mostirinds of go0ds, -but the --vertical=arrangement of corrugations'in sheet 6 is especially well adapted for washing fine fabrics, such as linen handkerchiefs, silkIingerie, etc.

The wash-board above -described is inexpensive in construction and the rubbing surfaces are exceedinglystrong but lightyboth sheets together weighing less than the-single-sheet-of an -ordinary"boar'd with one rubbing face wherein the metal has tobe made thick enough to withstand bending both laterally and vertically.

' Theunitary construction indicated-in Fig. 6 facilitates manufacture andreplacement, and the wash board ,has numerous advantages as an article of manufacture in addition to the desirable features above described. r

An improved'means for binding and-securing the edges of the two sheets together is disclosed and claimed in co-pending application Serial No. 737,484, filed July 30, 1934 by Charles W. 'Sadenwater, common assignee. I

Having thus described my invention, whatI claim and desire to secure by'Letters Patent is: 1. In a wash-board, two rubbing faces made ofcorrugated-sheet meta}, each-presenting similar alternating work-enga in arris ridges and channels substantially uniformly spaced,

said sheets being secured in back to back en-'-- ;substantially equi-distant and defining a i gltidlike pattern, =each channel of one sheet constituting a .transverse supporting member for each of the several channels of the other sheet when 'therlatter is subjected to stresses incident to its use as a rubbing surface.

adapted Ionwashing ordinary 'goo'ds,in*which the corrugations extend substantially perpendicular to the direction of rubbing, the other for delicate fabrics, in which the 5 corrugations extend-"substantially lengthwise of the-direction of rubbing,

said faces being made of corrugated sheet metal I provide'symmtry of "bracing for both rubbing 

